Brandy and Paolo Montalban revisit iconic 1997 ‘Cinderella’ roles in ‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’

LOS ANGELES — Nearly two decades after starring alongside each other in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” Brandy and Paolo Montalban are back, reprising their roles as Cinderella and (now) King Charming in the fourth installment in the “Descendants” franchise, entitled “Descendants: The Rise of Red.”

The hit 1997 version of “Cinderella” was originally produced by Walt Disney Television, based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Starring alongside Brandy and Montalban were Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Alexander and Victor Garber.

The film was positively received and was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards. It went on to win the Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program.

Now, audiences will be able to revisit the characters in what Montalban describes as “the unspoken sequel” to “Cinderella.”

In “Descendants: The Rise of Red,” when the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora) instigates a coup in the nation of Auradon, it’s up to her daughter, Princess Red (Kylie Cantrall) and Cinderella’s daughter, Chloe (Malia Baker) to rewind time and find a way to save the world they know.

“I got the call and I was so excited, because ‘Cinderella’ was such a magical time in my life when I was 16, and working with Paolo was amazing. And I wanted to do that again,” Brandy told On The Red Carpet.

“For me, I saw that Brandy was cast in the role, and I was absolutely over the moon that a whole new generation would experience her Cinderella, Queen Cinderella,” said Montalban.

From long days on set in the rain, to bonding over their brightly-colored blue wigs, to Montalban’s support on the crew’s Instagram posts, the couple has “always been so supportive” said Baker, who plays Chloe Charming, the daughter of the royal couple.

We asked Brandy about her performance in “Cinderella” and how it paved the way for others after her.

“I didn’t know that at the time, I knew that it was a special moment for me, but I didn’t know it was going to be paving the way. My whole thing was meeting Whitney Houston and singing with her. My dreams were coming true, so I didn’t know that I was going to be able to help other peoples’ dreams come true, and I’m so glad I was able to do that.”

“Descendants: The Rise of Red” premieres tomorrow, July 12 on Disney+, followed by a special encore on Friday, August 9 at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel.

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